Sen. Mitch McConnell talks health and post-hospital rehabilitation
Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell said a fall and pneumonia led to a recent hospitalization and that he is currently in rehab to “continue to regain my strength.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) said Republican Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell’s continued absence from Congress is “not normal” given the slim Republican majorities in both chambers.
While speaking with reporters outside the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday, July 14, Ocasio-Cortez, also known as AOC, expressed shock at McConnell’s prolonged absence.
“I mean, this is – I don’t even know how this is legal. I really don’t even know how this is legal at this point. And it’s – I just think it’s shocking,” she said. “So why is everyone pretending this is normal? This is not normal. This is not normal at all.”
Separately from McConnell, a New York lawmaker also expressed concern over the months-long absence of Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-N.J.). However, she did not mention his name.
“First of all, why would a sitting elected official go missing for months, especially now, when the Senate vote margin is so thin and the House vote margin is so thin,” she said.
Two notable absences
Ocasio-Cortez’s comments came after weeks of speculation about McConnell’s health.
The 84-year-old senator broke his public silence in a post on July 12, saying he had been absent from the Senate for about a month due to a fall and subsequent bout with pneumonia.
McConnell said in a statement to voters that he “temporarily lost consciousness” after the fall and was admitted to a hospital where he underwent extensive testing and treatment. The senator added that he has since been transferred from the hospital to a rehabilitation center and is continuing physical therapy to “continue to regain his strength.”
Keene Jr. was absent from Congress for an even longer period, approximately four months.
But after that long break, Keene Jr. spoke on the House floor on June 30 and said he had been hospitalized several months earlier and had been diagnosed with depression. He added that doctors recommended that he remain hospitalized, explaining that it was the “fastest way to recover.”
“Ask for help is not weakness,” he said. “That’s a strength.”
USA TODAY’s Zachary Schermele and Thao Nguyen contributed to this report.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact us at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow us at X @fern_cerv_.
